


As the Gods Say

by Hypoxia



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Implied Sexual Content, Komahina Secret Exchange, M/M, eros and psyche au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-21 02:31:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16150667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hypoxia/pseuds/Hypoxia
Summary: The first time Nagito heard of Izuru Kamukura, the goddess of beauty herself was cursing his name. The first time Nagito saw Izuru Kamukura, he understood why.





	As the Gods Say

The first time Nagito heard of Izuru Kamukura, the goddess of beauty herself was cursing his name.

"Junko, are you doing alright?” Nagito drifted down to the goddess’s side from where he was polishing his arrows, careful to keep his distance in fear of her explosive temper and destructive tendencies.

Junko simply ignored his question and stared down at the Earth from her throne in the palace of the gods. Her legs were crossed as she leaned her head into her hand. With her other, she signaled for Nagito to come closer so she could speak to him.

“My dear, have you ever heard of a young man named Izuru Kamukura?” Before Nagito could answer, the goddess turned to face him, a bored expression on her face. “They say he’s the most beautiful person on the Earth, you know.”

Nagito looked down onto the Earth and cocked his head, hoping to get a better look at the kingdom of mortals. “What do you mean?”

The goddess tapped her fingers against the arm of her chair and turned her gaze away from the young man at her side. “He’s a prince said to be the most desirable among mortals. Even more so than his sisters.” The disdain in her voice was so obvious.

“Oh, is that so?” Nagito began to wonder about Junko’s newfound interest in this apparently beautiful prince.

As he was a god of love himself, Junko tended to involve Nagito in many of her little schemes against mankind. It’s not that she hated mortals or anything, no. She was just simply bored. As a goddess, she had everything she could ever want, from wealth and admiration to radiant beauty. The only thing she didn’t have was a real source of entertainment. That’s where everyone else around her came in.

“Both men and women fling themselves at him,” she continued, “and yet, he does nothing to acknowledge them. Isn’t that just so funny?” Junko snorted and began to rise from her seat. “In fact, they’ve started looking towards him so much, my temples are starting to grow cold from the disuse. And he won’t even look at them!”

Nagito just smiled down and gave a short laugh knowing that he could do nothing to stop the goddess once she got in this state.

“If they think they can replace the goddess of love and beauty with a mortal boy, then I think a small punishment is in order!” She laughed a lot louder this time while reaching for one of Nagito’s arrows. “And if he thinks that he can get away with it, he must be gravely mistaken.”

Nagito knew exactly where this rather one-sided conversation was going, but he didn’t mind. As long as he could make himself useful to Junko, he was more than happy to go along with whatever she had planned.

“You know what I want, right?” She handed his arrow out to him. “Make him fall in love with the vilest creature on Earth.”

Honestly a pretty tame punishment by Junko’s standards but regardless, Nagito was willing to do it. He took his arrow back from her in response.

Several hours later, Nagito was wandering through the city streets and mingling among the crowds. Even now as he pushed his way through the crowded street, he could hear Izuru’s name whispered among the citizens.

    _“Such beauty is befitting for a prince.”_

_“It’s a shame that he refuses to leave the palace.”_

_“I’ve heard his hair is darker than the night sky and his eyes brighter than the rubies in his father’s crown.”_

Slowly, Nagito was able to piece the story together with each passing bit of information. When Izuru Kamukura came into the world, he was born with long black hair and crimson eyes. Although they were rather abnormal features on a child, he gradually began to grow into them, his looks blooming. Word of his appearance began spreading farther and farther throughout the land, causing men and women to flock to see him. Now as a young man, he should be prepared to wed as his sisters had done before. Yet, he doesn’t take any interest in pursuing any sort of relationships with those around him.

Lost in his own thoughts, Nagito barely registered that he had arrived at the palace gates. He reached for his arrows and slipped through the guards towards what his instincts told him was the prince’s room.

Now, the first time Nagito heard of Izuru Kamukura, the goddess of beauty herself was cursing his name. The first time Nagito saw Izuru Kamukura, he understood why. One look and his heart felt like it was being pierced by his own arrow and then brought back to life. Izuru’s long black hair splayed around his lithe figure as he leaned back against the headboard, his eyes closed. Dark eyelashes brushed against his pale cheeks. Nagito stood near the room’s exit and stared at the boy, absolutely entranced.

No, no, no, Junko had asked him for this and it would be disgraceful to fail after getting this close. Nagito silently cursed himself as he clutched his arrow, his hand wrapping hesitantly around his bow. He took a sharp inhale as he raised his arm and pulled back the string aligning his aim. He took a deep breath and -

“Whoever is there, show yourself."

Gods, Nagito had been so engulfed in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice bright red eyes darting open and looking in his direction towards the door. It was a miracle that Nagito had had the sense to keep near the shadows and out of sight.

“I’m not going to tell you again,” Izuru spoke calmly as he gathered himself out of bed. His hair slipped off the soft pillow and circled around him, swaying gently as he began to walk towards the door.

Nagito got another good look at the boy and realized he wouldn’t be able to follow through with his original intentions. It was almost as if he had struck himself with the arrows. He was finally able to understand how Izuru’s admirers felt while staring at the boy. He turned back to take a final glance at the prince, surprised to see him so close. Red met blue and for a split second, Nagito forgot how to move.

And just as quickly as he stopped, he slipped into the darkness and away from the prince.

To say Junko was upset was a tad bit of an understatement. Fire swirled in her eyes as she watched Komaeda return with his head hung low. “You … did you honestly fail such a simple task as that?!”  Nagito could do nothing but listen to her cries as she prepared her punishment for him.

**

The first time Izuru Kamukura saw Nagito, his interest was piqued. For as long as he could remember, Izuru knew how to read the actions of others and learn about their intentions through a simple glance. Such a talent could be considered a gift from the gods, but Izuru didn’t care for it much. It made his life boring, predictable, and all he wanted was something, someone, that could throw him off balance. He thought he might’ve found that someone last night.

He had awoken to the sound of heavy breathing and soft footsteps crossing along his marble floors. It didn’t take long for him to snap out of his dreamless sleep, fully alert and on guard. Looking around the room, he saw nothing but the faintest shadow coming from behind the door. His mind immediately flickered to thoughts of obsessors and admirers but he dismissed the possibility, knowing that none them were neither stupid nor reckless enough to break into a prince’s chambers.

“Whoever is there, show yourself.” His eyes landed steadily on the shadow, watching it’s visible hesitation as it moved back. Quietly, Izuru walked over to the room’s entrance and turned to glance around the door. He was met with a flash of dull blue and then was all alone, staring at the darkness. Surely there was no way he had just imagined the figure in the dark in a sleepy daze. Soft footsteps padded through the hall, just quiet enough to slip by Izuru.

“Brother? I thought you were asleep,” called a soft female voice from behind him, gently pulling him away from his musing

Izuru turned to face his sister, looking down to meet her gaze. “Chiaki, did you see something strange at the palace today?”

“Today?” She let out a soft yawn and continued, “No, I don’t think so. Why? Were you looking for someone?”

Izuru sighed and shook his head. “Whatever, it’s nothing important,” he said and turned to go back into his room.

“Wait, I had to tell you something,” she looked at the ground, “about what Father mentioned earlier.”

“What, about visiting the Oracle?” Izuru sighed again while recalling the conversation earlier that day with his father. His family was wealthy, powerful, and desperate to see their eldest son carry on the family name, even through an entirely loveless marriage. It really did suit him to get married to a faceless woman out of necessity, he thought to himself. He just wanted to hold off until the last possible moment in the hopes that the gods sent someone at least mildly interesting his way.

“The Oracle will be here tomorrow by sundown,” Chiaki said softly before she hesitantly began to walk the other way. “Oh, and Izuru?”

“Hm?”

She gave him a soft smile. “Good night.”

He bid her goodnight and fell right back into his bed, dreaming of shadows and blue eyes.

The next day passed slowly as he prepared for his meeting with the Oracle. He pinned back his hair and put on his finest clothes at the request of his father. Then he sat and waited, watching the sun go down with every passing hour.

When the Oracle, a man with dark skin and extremely unruly hair, arrived at the palace, he brought grave news with him. He spoke of the gods’ message in deciding the fate of the apathetic yet beautiful prince. Rather than the heir of a distant kingdom, Izuru was destined to fall in love with a hideous beast and be taken away. The king was instructed to bring his son to the top of a rocky hill and to leave him at the mercy of the wind. A rather cliche set of instructions in Izuru’s opinion, but he kept his mouth shut.

Within a few hours, Izuru had comfortably settled himself on the hilltop, his mind wandering with no real destination. Closing his eyes, he felt the warm licks of wind brushing up against his cheeks, his back, his legs. At first, it felt nice, almost comforting, but as the winds began to pick up, Izuru realized that it was no ordinary breeze, but the winds of a god. Slowly, he was lifted off the hilltop and above the kingdom, far above the boring world he knew. Izuru allowed himself to fall asleep on the breath of a god and under the protection of the moon.

When he felt the winds settle down, he opened his eyes and saw fields of red and white flowers, their intoxicating scent wafting towards him. At the end of the field was a beautiful mansion standing proudly in golden glory, the new morning sun reflecting off its shimmering trim. With newly refreshed limbs, he stood up and felt the breeze push at his back, urging him to step forward towards the mansion. The large front doors swung open before Izuru could even touch his hands to the handles, almost as if someone had been waiting for him. Actually, someone had been waiting for him. Izuru heard soft laughs coming from somewhere in the back of his mind. He chose to ignore them in favor of listening to the distant sounds of music. Aimlessly, he wandered through the great hall until the smell of warm food overtook his senses and drew him to the dining hall. Another laugh like the chimes of a bell. Izuru had to admit, he was intrigued by the unknown boy who was clearly watching him wander.

“Are you my supposed husband?” If Izuru was being honest, he had no idea who he was talking to. And the thought thrilled him.

“My dear prince,” the faceless voice let out another breathy laugh, “you’re quite observant!”

“Yes, and I’m not sure what you are beyond strange.”

“Oh, and ever quick to strike back,” replied the voice in an amused tone. As if on cue, a slight breeze whipped around the room before the voice spoke again. “This food, this house, it’s all for you.” Izuru looked around, searching for the voice with suspicious eyes. “I know it’s a bit strange, but you cannot see me as I am. Trust me for now.”

“And how do you expect I trust what I cannot see?”

Without missing a beat, the voice replied, “You have dealt with the ill-will of others your entire life. If you sense that same feeling, you are welcome to leave me here. There’s a warm bath drawn for you already. Go and relax yourself before the evening. Then we’ll feast in your honor.”

Under normal circumstances, Izuru would have refused, demanding to see the voice he could only hear in the back of his mind. But he was exhausted from the night on the wind and lack of food since the day before, so he walked through the mansion until the smells of freshly baked bread were replaced by those of rose scented soaps. Finally finding the washroom, he stripped down his clothing and ungraciously sat himself in the bath, reaching for the least extravagant bottle of soap of the many laid upon the edge of the tub.

Upon finishing his bath, Izuru stepped out and dried himself on the fluffy towels laid out in a room just around the corner of the bath. The room itself was beautiful with ornate designs carved into and around the ceiling, winding around each other like curled vines. The lightly tinted walls almost reminded him of the palace back home, and the bed was made in the same way Chiaki prepared his. It was mildly impressive, he thought, that whoever had taken him here had thought so far enough ahead to provide him with the smallest of comforts. Once dressed, he pulled back his black hair, securing it in one of the many ribbons kept near a large mirror.

“You look lovely,” said the voice speaking once again. “Absolutely beautiful.” Izuru chose to ignore it in favor of walking to the dining room where he could hear the sounds of plates being shuffled around a table. The soft music from before began to play once more, flooding the air with sounds of lyres and flutes as hot plates of exotic meats, cheeses, and wines covered the table. A single chair was pulled up to the edge of the wooden table. Izuru stood by the seat.

“What’s wrong?”

“No ‘prince’ comment?”

“Well, I am your husband after all, so if you don’t mind too much…” There was a sweet edge to the invisible voice, making it sound like the person behind it was almost smiling sheepishly. “Ah, but if you do then I can call you by your title!”

“And so who is it that calls my name?”

The voice hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Nagito. Just - call me Nagito.”

“Nagito,” Izuru spoke, the name bringing an unexplainable sense of familiarity. “So why is it that I cannot see you?”

Izuru didn’t dislike a lot of things in particular. Sure, there were many inconveniences that made life rather tedious, like the onslaught of admirers and the occasional actions of his slightly off-center siblings. But beyond that, nothing ever truly got under his skin. Nothing besides the unknown.

His entire life, Izuru had been able to predict what would happen and when it would happen. The unknown was an unfamiliar territory for him, and it both interested and annoyed him. He’d put up with it now while the unfamiliar feeling of curiosity was still fresh, but once the novelty wore off, Izuru wouldn’t hesitate to force his new husband’s hand.

“Were you to gaze upon my hideous self, you wouldn’t be able to stay here. You’d be as you were, forever destined to be admired but never loved. And loneliness is a pretty horrible feeling.”

“You would know?”

Nagito paused, “… I would.”

The evening continued in their exchanges; Nagito’s offhand comments would inspire quick quips back from Izuru, creating a completely natural flow to their conversation, something that Izuru had never known before.

Later that evening, between the feather soft touches and gentle kisses, Izuru finally let himself feel something more than indifference for the first time. Whether it was simply a craving for human connection finally being satisfied or a fleeting moment of misjudgment, he didn’t know. The only thing he let himself muse over was the smoothness of Nagito’s skin and the way the boy’s voice was muffled by the overly plush pillow. He may not be able to see him but the darkness made sure that Izuru could experience every single part of him.

While they caught their breath and Nagito got settled beside him, Izuru was the first to speak.

“So, you’re the supposed hideous beast?”

Nagito chuckled softly. “I guess you could say I am.” Izuru thought the other boy was almost asleep when he spoke again. “It’s not your fault, you know.”

“What?”

“Your inability to feel love towards other mortals. Call it a curse from the gods of some sort.”

“You speak as if you’re not mortal yourself.” Izuru shuffled to face the figure lying next to him.

“I’m the hideous beast, remember?”

**

And so the days passed on and the hot summer transformed into a golden autumn. The two lovers spent their carefree days either absent-mindedly speaking in the field of flowers and ridiculing those around them or tangled in nightly exchanges of passion. But Izuru could only take so much before he became annoyed with the mystery surrounding his husband. He really did hate not knowing and if the other’s identity was the only thing that would satiate his curiosity, then so be it. That night, he set his plan into motion.

While his husband slept, he grabbed a candle and struck a match, causing the shadows from the orange light to dance around the room. Izuru felt another sensation of familiarity, but he shook it off. He walked over to the bed to catch a glimpse at his husband’s appearance. Of course, Izuru had known that he hadn’t been sharing a bed alongside a hideous beast since that first night. What he hadn’t realized, however, was that he was married to the god of love himself. In his initial shock, he didn’t notice the single drop of wax slipping down the candlestick and falling onto Nagito’s cheek.

“Izuru, what are you -”

Upon seeing the glow from the candlelight, Nagito left the bedroom and disappeared into the darkness as quickly as he had during their first meeting.

**

Izuru thought he’d be just fine on his own when waking up in an empty bed. In a way, he was. That is, until the wind forcibly threw open the doors and pushed Izuru out of the house and into the wilting meadow. He had nowhere to go and the wind refused to blow at his back.

So he wandered. And wandered. For days and nights, Izuru walked through farms and villages with his thoughts as his only companion. He really did believe that he’d be ok on his own but soon enough, thoughts of his former companion crept their way into his mind and rooted themselves there. Who he’d thought as nothing more than a way to lose himself within an uneventful life had somehow become a sort of staple in Izuru’s life. If he felt incomplete and alone before, that feeling certainly paled in comparison to what he felt now.

Junko took joy in watching the young man’s certain brand of discontent, of unfulfillment, of despair. She knew that while she could let him wallow in his own misery for the rest of his time, she was too meddlesome for that. Oh no, she thought she’d give him one last glimmer of false hope as a final stab. Reaching out from the heavens, she called down to him.

“Oh dear me, what has such a handsome boy so upset?”

Now, Izuru knew that whenever the god of love was involved, the goddess of beauty was probably close by. Not to mention, she was known for being difficult to deal with. So he called back to her, “I take it you’re Junko then.” A shrill laugh followed.

“Aw, so you’ve heard of me, little prince! Lemme guess, you’re off looking for your precious husband?”

Izuru glanced up with dull eyes. “What of him?” Of course, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t trying to find Nagito around every sacred place he stumbled upon, but he wasn’t going to give the infamously cruel goddess the satisfaction.

“It’s no use trying to mislead a goddess, you know. I can sense the desire you feel.” Another laugh, this one more callous than the first. “I am the goddess of love after all!”

Izuru remained silent.

“Aw, too love-stricken to speak? No matter! I’ll let you see him if you can prove you can prove your undying love and affection.”

“I’m not in love, or whatever garbage you’re saying,” Izuru said, now glaring at the sky.

“Yes, and clearly you’re more beautiful than me. Anyways, I’ll give you until sundown.” Izuru blinked and his surroundings vanished, instead being replaced by a field with a large mound of seeds near the center. “Sort out all of the seeds before night falls. Then I’ll bring him to you.”

Now, had Izuru been any normal person, the task would’ve impossible. It would’ve been an uncrossable mountain, or rather, an uncrossable mound. But Izuru was no normal person and seeds were nothing more than seeds. He was able to navigate his way around the pile rather quickly, working with the speed of the west wind. As the sun was lowered into the sky, Izuru finished putting together the final pile.

“Well, isn’t this a rather splendid development!” Izuru could hear the cruel twist of a smile in Junko’s voice as the weight of her presence settled around him. “You did well, but that did nothing to prove your love for your so-called husband.” He thought he heard the sound of fingernails tapping against a chair. “What to do, what to do? Oh, I know! Haven’t you heard of the Cyclops and his sheep? Why don’t you go fetch me a basket of their wool?”

So Izuru did just that, narrowly avoiding getting eaten alive by the ravenous animals while killing one in the process. Despite the small knicks on his arms from when had scraped it against a tree while gathering the wool, he came back to the goddess relatively unscathed. But Junko knew that Izuru was some kind of unnatural wonder, able to do whatever she asked. His only weaknesses were his apathy and his hatred for the unknown. With that in mind, she sent him on his final task to prove his love.

She gave him a box and said, “Go, and journey off to the land of the dead. There, you shall meet the queen of the Underworld. I want you to deliver the elixir of beauty and ask her to return the box. Only then will you be able to see the god of love.”

The journey itself was relatively simple with the only minor issue being crossing the River Styx to get to his destination. The queen herself, a beautiful young woman with sapphire eyes and golden hair, was more than willing to help calm a fellow goddess.

“Your highness -”

“Please, call me Sonia.”

Your highness,” continued Izuru, “I deliver this elixir on behalf of the goddess of beauty.”

Sonia blinked and slowly reached out and took the box from him. “Oh, is that what she’s planning?” She left for a moment to, Izuru assumed, put away the elixr. She reappeared quickly, returning the box. With that, he spun around and turned to leave, stopping only when he heard Sonia’s voice call out to him.

“Wait!” She hesitated for a moment. “It’s extremely important that you be careful with that box.” Izuru nodded in acknowledgement and made his way out of the Underworld, thankful for the fresh air. Despite the queen’s words, he couldn’t help but wonder what was in the box, which was now radiating a strange aura. As he had survived Junko’s previous tasks with little harm, he figured he could handle whatever was causing the box to seem so strange. Moments after unlatching the box, he felt darkness swirl in his vision and his knees hit the grass.

When Izuru came to, he didn’t know how long he had been asleep or where he was. The only thing he noticed was the weight on his chest and curly white hair brushing up he against his chin. He groaned and shifted positions to get a better look at the body beneath him.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Nagito said cheerfully, lifting himself from where he had been laying upon Izuru’s chest. “How’re you feeling?” Izuku could only give him a wide eyed blank stare, so he continued, “Yeah, that was a pretty nasty trick Sonia played with you. Although I reckon Junko probably got her to do it since that’s not really her style.”

“You’re…”

“Yep, still here and visible!”

And there he was in all of his glory, fully visible and very, very pretty. Abandoning whatever questions he had, Izuru caught Nagito and pulled him into a deep kiss, savoring every movement against his mouth. When he pulled away, he heard the other boy’s characteristic laugh.

“Well, that’s new.”

And like that they stayed, basking in the warmth of each other’s presence. Nagito didn’t have a chance to tell Izuru about the conversation he had managed to slip in with Makoto, the king of the gods, but he didn’t care. They had all the time in the world together. And that was just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhhh this was so much fun to write!!! Thank you to slickandsolangelic for the awesome prompt! I really hope you like it!


End file.
